Project Vote Smart

GREAT DIVIDE RANCH, Mont. (November 7, 2011) – With the presidential election exactly one year away, Project Vote Smart has launched VoteEasy (winner of the best there is at the 2011 Webvisionary Awards), the interactive tool for voters to instantly see which presidential candidate they are most compatible with. To use VoteEasy now visit www.votesmart.org. Using innovative technology to simplify voters' pre-election research, this web-based tool allows voters to answer the same key issue questions Vote Smart asked the candidates to address on the 2012 Political Courage Test, and watch as the tool matches them with the candidate who best aligns with their views. Questions span 13 major issues, including the budget, economy, health care, and immigration. The Sacramento Bee has called VoteEasy “the eHarmony of political web sites,” and according to GovTrack it is “the most compelling voter info resource ever seen.” "VoteEasy is every voter's chance to find their Mr. Right, or Ms. Left,” said Project Vote Smart National Director Kristen Vicedomini. “By combining animation, interactivity, and factual information, VoteEasy is single-handedly translating a candidate's public record into an entertaining format all voters can trust and understand. Spend five or ten minutes on VoteEasy and you might find your political soulmate.” Voters who want to drill down for more details can flip a candidate's yard sign at any time to view voting records, campaign finance information, interest group ratings and more. Creating this easy-to-use resource was no simple task. Not one of the eleven major declared presidential candidates were willing to answer citizens' questions on the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repetitious requests by Vote Smart staff, media and political leaders of both major parties. As a result, Vote Smart's team of researchers was forced to thoroughly examine each candidate's background to determine where he or she would most likely stand on these important issues. While candidates are still welcome to answer these questions at any time, Vote Smart will not allow voters to be left in the dark. Vote Smart launches VoteEasy alongside a new, more user-friendly web site as part of a greater effort to make sure every voter, regardless of their political savvy or technical-know-how, has the tools to vote smart. Vicedomini said VoteEasy will be designed to cover all congressional candidates by mid-2012. About Project Vote Smart: Founded by 40 national leaders such as Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, Vote Smart’s Voter’s Self-Defense System took 16 years to build and includes the voting records, backgrounds, issue positions, campaign contributions, interest group ratings, and public statements of more than 40,000 candidates and elected officials. This information, as well as ballot measures and voter registration information is available through www.votesmart.org,the Voter’s Research Hotline (1-888-VOTE SMART), free publications (the Voter's Self-Defense Manual), and the new VoteEasy interactive application. Project Vote Smart has been made possible by over 100,000 liberal and conservative fellow citizens. No funds are accepted from lobbyists, corporations, unions or others that support or oppose candidates. As a volunteer-based organization, Vote Smart will survive on individual small contributions or not at all.